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Forearm FracturesVR-CASTNCT07683715

Virtual Reality-Assisted Cast Application in Children With Forearm Fractures

A study testing Virtual Reality-Based Educational Animation in people with Forearm Fractures and Procedural Anxiety, run by Başakşehir Çam & Sakura City Hospital at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye).

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

This prospective randomized controlled trial will evaluate whether virtual reality can reduce procedural distress in children undergoing cast application for forearm fractures. Children will be assigned to either a virtual reality group or a standard care group. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 4 to 15 years
What is being tested?
Virtual Reality-Based Educational Animation
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
158 participants
Where
1 siteTurkey (Türkiye)
Study dates
1 Jul 2026to 3 Oct 2026
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 4 to 15 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Child

Who may be able to join

  • Children aged 4 to 15 years.
  • Diagnosis of an isolated forearm fracture requiring cast application with traction (greenstick injuries plastic deformation if NOT over 20 degrees bayonet apposition ok if <10 years and growth remains)
  • First cast application for the current fracture episode.
  • Typically developing children without a known developmental delay or cognitive impairment that would prevent participation in the study assessments.
  • Ability of the child to understand age-appropriate instructions and respond to pain, anxiety, and fear-related assessments with caregiver assistance when necessary.
  • At least one upper extremity free of immobilization, allowing heart rate assessment during the procedure.
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  • Parent or legal guardian able to provide written informed consent.
  • Child assent when appropriate according to age and local ethics committee requirements.
  • Ability and willingness of the child and caregiver to attend an approximately 30-minute blinded child psychiatry assessment 1 day after cast application.

Who cannot join

  • Open forearm fracture.
  • Multiple trauma or an additional painful injury that may affect pain, anxiety, or fear assessment.
  • Need for emergency surgery, procedural sedation, or general anesthesia during cast application.
  • Previous participation in this study.
  • Known developmental delay, cognitive impairment, autism spectrum disorder with inability to complete study assessments, or severe psychiatric disorder that may interfere with questionnaire-based evaluation.
  • Known epilepsy, photosensitive seizure disorder, severe motion sickness, vestibular disorder, or any condition considered unsafe for VR headset use.
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  • Visual or hearing impairment preventing use of the VR intervention or completion of the assessments.
  • Head, face, or scalp injury preventing safe or comfortable use of a VR headset.
  • Nausea, dizziness, or severe discomfort before the procedure that would prevent VR use.
  • Refusal of the child or caregiver to participate.
  • Inability to complete the 1-day child psychiatry follow-up assessment.

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

Turkey (Türkiye)1 site
  • Basaksehir Cam ve Sakura City Hospital

    Istanbul, Istanbul, 34010

Other trials in Turkey (Türkiye)

About this study

Official title: Does Virtual Reality Reduce Pain, Anxiety, Physiologic Stress, and Return-Visit Fear During Pediatric Forearm Casting? A Randomized Controlled Trial

This prospective randomized controlled trial will evaluate whether virtual reality can reduce procedural distress in children undergoing cast application for forearm fractures. Children will be assigned to either a virtual reality group or a standard care group. In the virtual reality group, children will watch a 3-minute child-friendly animated educational video using a VR headset during cast application. The video explains the casting procedure, how to protect the cast, and what the child should do after the cast is applied.

The study will compare pain, anxiety, heart rate response, caregiver anxiety, and procedure-related fear between the two groups. The casting team will assess the child during the procedure. One day after cast application, each child will undergo an approximately 30-minute evaluation by a child psychiatry clinician who is blinded to group allocation. This follow-up assessment will evaluate the child's current anxiety, anxiety related to the cast experience, fear of returning to the hospital or doctor, and fear-related behaviors after the procedure.

Read the detailed description

Forearm fractures are common injuries in children and frequently require cast immobilization. Although cast application is a routine orthopedic procedure, children may experience pain, anxiety, fear, and physiologic stress during the procedure. In some children, this experience may also lead to fear of returning to the hospital or doctor, sometimes referred to as doctor-related or white coat-related fear.

Virtual reality may help children during medical procedures by providing immersive visual and auditory distraction. In addition, an age-appropriate educational video may reduce uncertainty by explaining what will happen during the procedure and how the child should care for the cast afterward.

This study is designed as a prospective, randomized, parallel-group clinical trial. Children with forearm fractures requiring cast application will be randomized into two groups: a virtual reality group and a standard care group. Children in the virtual reality group will wear a Meta Quest 3 headset during cast application and watch a 3-minute child-friendly animated educational video generated using Google Flow. The video explains the cast application process, cast protection, and post-cast care instructions. Children in the standard care group will undergo routine cast application without virtual reality. Apart from the virtual reality intervention, all clinical care will be the same between the two groups.

During cast application, the orthopedic casting team will record procedural pain, procedural anxiety, heart rate before the procedure, mean heart rate during the procedure, heart rate after a 2-minute recovery period, procedure duration, whether the virtual reality headset was removed, and whether nausea, dizziness, or discomfort occurred. Caregivers will also rate the child's anxiety, their own anxiety, and the child's pain before and after the procedure.

One day after cast application, each child will undergo an approximately 30-minute follow-up assessment by a child psychiatry clinician who is blinded to group allocation. Children and caregivers will be instructed not to disclose whether virtual reality was used. This blinded assessment will evaluate the child's current anxiety, anxiety related to the cast experience, anxiety while returning to the hospital or doctor, reluctance to return to the doctor, fear-related behaviors at home such as crying or sleep disturbance, and distress when remembering the cast procedure.

The primary objective of the study is to determine whether virtual reality reduces cast-related anxiety and subsequent doctor-related fear after cast application. Secondary objectives include evaluating the effect of virtual reality on procedural pain, procedural anxiety, heart rate response, caregiver anxiety, procedure duration, virtual reality tolerability, and caregiver preference for future use of virtual reality during similar procedures.

Being tested
Virtual Reality-Based Educational Animation, Standard Care
Keywords
Virtual Reality, Pediatric Forearm Fracture, Cast Application, Procedural Distress, Educational Animation

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Virtual Reality-Based Educational AnimationBehavioural

    Children assigned to the virtual reality group will watch a 3-minute child-friendly educational animated video through a VR headset during cast application. The video explains the cast application procedure, cast protection, and post-cast care instructions. The intervention is intended to reduce procedural distress through immersive visual and auditory distraction and age-appropriate education.

  • Standard CareOther

    Children assigned to the control group will undergo routine cast application without virtual reality. Standard verbal explanation and routine orthopedic care will be provided by the casting team.

Study groups in NCT07683715
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Virtual Reality-Assisted Cast ApplicationExperimentalChildren in this group will undergo cast application while watching a 3-minute child-friendly educational animated video through a VR headset. The video explains the cast application procedure, cast protection, and post-cast care instructions. Apart from the VR intervention, routine orthopedic care will be provided.
Receives: Behavioral: Virtual Reality-Based Educational Animation
Standard Cast ApplicationActive comparatorChildren in this group will undergo routine cast application without virtual reality. Standard verbal explanation and routine orthopedic care will be provided by the casting team.
Receives: Other: Standard Care

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Child Psychiatry-Assessed Cast Experience Anxiety Score at 1 Day

    Cast-related fear and anxiety will be assessed 1 day after cast application by a child psychiatry clinician blinded to group allocation using a structured questionnaire. The assessment will evaluate the child's fear or anxiety related to the cast experience, reluctance to return to the doctor or hospital, fear-related behaviors at home such as crying or sleep disturbance, and distress when remembering the cast procedure.

    Measured: 1 day after cast application

Secondary outcomes (13)
  1. Procedural Anxiety Score During Cast Application

    The orthopedic casting team will assess the child's anxiety during cast application using a 0-100 score, where higher scores indicate greater procedural anxiety.

    Measured: During cast application

  2. Procedural Pain Score During Cast Application

    The orthopedic casting team will assess the child's pain during cast application using a 0-10 score, where higher scores indicate greater procedural pain.

    Measured: During cast application

  3. Change in Heart Rate During Cast Application

    Heart rate will be recorded before cast application, during the procedure, and after a 2-minute recovery period. Changes in heart rate from baseline to the procedural and recovery periods will be compared between groups.

    Measured: Before, during, and 2 minutes after cast application

  4. Procedure Duration

    The duration of cast application will be recorded in minutes from the start of the cast application procedure to completion of the procedure. Procedure duration will be compared between the virtual reality group and the standard care group.

    Measured: During cast application

  5. Physician-Rated Procedural Difficulty Score

    The physician performing the cast application will rate the procedural difficulty using a 0-10 score according to the child's cooperation, movement, crying, fear response, and overall behavioral reaction during cast application. Higher scores indicate greater procedural difficulty.

    Measured: During cast application

  6. Child Behavioral Response During Cast Application

    The child's behavioral response during cast application will be assessed by the casting physician. The assessment will include cooperation, crying, avoidance behavior, agitation, movement during the procedure, and overall tolerance of the cast application.

    Measured: During cast application

  7. Caregiver-Rated Child Anxiety

    Caregivers will rate how anxious they think their child is using a 0-100 score, where higher scores indicate greater child anxiety.

    Measured: Immediately after cast application

  8. Caregiver Anxiety Score

    Caregivers will rate their own anxiety using a 0-100 score, where higher scores indicate greater caregiver anxiety.

    Measured: Immediately after cast application

  9. Caregiver-Rated Child Pain Before and After Cast Application

    Caregivers will rate the child's pain before and after cast application using a 0-10 score, where higher scores indicate greater pain.

    Measured: Before and immediately after cast application

  10. Doctor-Related Fear at Follow-up

    Doctor-related fear after the cast experience will be assessed by a blinded child psychiatry clinician using a structured questionnaire. The assessment will include anxiety while returning to the hospital or doctor and reluctance to return to the doctor after the cast experience.

    Measured: 1 day after cast application

  11. Post-Procedural Fear-Related Behaviors at Home

    Fear-related behaviors at home after cast application will be assessed by the blinded child psychiatry clinician using caregiver and child responses. These behaviors may include fear, crying, sleep disturbance, reluctance to visit the doctor, or other procedure-related distress.

    Measured: From cast application to 1-day follow-up

  12. Distress When Remembering the Cast Procedure

    The child's distress when remembering the cast application procedure will be assessed by the blinded child psychiatry clinician using a structured questionnaire item. Higher scores or more severe responses indicate greater procedure-related distress.

    Measured: 1 day after cast application

  13. Caregiver Preference for Future Virtual Reality Use

    Caregivers will be asked whether they would want virtual reality to be used again if a similar procedure is required. Responses will be recorded as yes, no, or undecided.

    Measured: Immediately after cast application

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted6 Jul 2026
  2. Study start1 Jul 2026
  3. Primary completion3 Oct 2026
  4. Study completion3 Oct 2026

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Supportive care
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Model description
Participants will be randomized into two parallel groups: a virtual reality-assisted cast application group and a standard cast application group. Children in the virtual reality group will watch a 3-minute educational animated video using a VR headset during cast application, while children in the control group will receive standard cast application without virtual reality. Outcomes will be compared between the two groups.
Masking
Single blind
Who is masked
Outcomes assessor
Enrolment
158 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT07683715
Sponsor's protocol ID
2024KAEK11
Acronym
VR-CAST
Status last verified
Oct 2026
First submitted
27 Jun 2026
Last updated
13 Oct 2026
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
Yes: De-identified individual participant data underlying the results reported in the published article may be shared upon reasonable request. Shared data will not include names, national identification numbers, contact information, or any directly identifiable personal information. Because the study includes children and child psychiatry assessments, data sharing will be limited to anonymized research data and will require approval by the principal investigator and compliance with applicable ethics committee and institutional regulations.

Publications

  • Georgiadis AG, Schavee PE, Koester TM, DeBruin WT, Burkitt CC, Truong WH, Laine JC. Virtual Reality as an Adjunct to Pediatric Cast Removal: A Randomized Controlled Trial. JB JS Open Access. 2025 Apr 18;10(2):e24.00244. doi: 10.2106/JBJS.OA.24.00244. eCollection 2025 Apr-Jun.

    PubMed 40255492

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Virtual Reality-Based Educational Animation in people with Forearm Fractures and Procedural Anxiety, run by Başakşehir Çam & Sakura City Hospital at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye).

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 9 inclusion and 11 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 13 Oct 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye). Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Child Psychiatry-Assessed Cast Experience Anxiety Score at 1 Day (time frame: 1 day after cast application). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT07683715, which also lists 1 linked publication.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 13 Oct 2026.

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